Sometimes building a fire and burning your dead parent’s financial documents is cathartic.

The Clarissa fans have found me.

I can’t remember the last time I was in the ocean. I miss it.

"There is no sense calling for independent or solitary action by something called “the humanities” when that category has been so thoroughly absorbed by concerted attacks on democratic governance, due process of law, rights to privacy, security, assembly, and expression. We are all humanists now."

Current mood.

How I'm walking out of 2025

One thing that I’ve become increasingly certain of over the course of this year: As an academic, I do not have (and never will have) a responsibility to teach students to use Gen AI ‘ethically’ (as if that were possible). The idea that academics should be doing this is a blight on the sector.

Hi, hello! My book _Impressive Politics: Print before the Press in Late Medieval England_ is forthcoming from University of Pennsylvania Press. I think about print all the time but in ways you might not expect. sonjadrimmer.com/blog-1/2025/...

The Lord of The Rings movies were rated PG-13. By current rules that means that each film could contain one use of the word "Fuck". Which line are you altering to insert the most useful swear word? “I am no fucking man!”

Make a Bond movie casual “Dr. Not-so-much”

Boxing Day ramble with the pup.

Make a Bond movie academic "Dr. No One Wants to Hire"

Wonderful to spend time with my family this holiday season. But it also makes me miss those I lost in the last year: my doctoral advisor (Stuart Curran), my uncle (Richard Diamond), and my mom (Ann-Louise Richman). May their memories be a blessing.

Merry Christmas! I hope Santa brought you a toy you love as much as Bess loves her new gingerbread girl.

Waiting for dough to rise so I can make the cinnamon rolls ahead. future me will thank me (I hope).

EAP, his telltale heart, and his raven wish you all a Merry Christmas

A dating app for #bookbinders called “Bindr”

I don't want to control the whole world, but I would very much like god-like powers enabling me to control my own world.

Love seeing my teenagers rock out to Kate Bush. Thank you, Stranger Things!

I think I'm vaguely obsessed with poetic meter. It's the thing I keep coming back to in my writing about poetry. I can't stop thinking about it. Maybe because it has to do with time?

Wonderful. Just what I needed tonight.

I was feeling really angry and morose. But then I drank a glass of wine (or two) and put on Vince Guraldi, and now the world seems better.

Finals graded. Final grades submitted. The semester is over. Time to start prepping for next semester.

*Close your email for two weeks, man. Just do it.*

Delighted to see William Godwin's superb novel, Caleb Williams, trending. #18C #CalebWilliams #Godwin

Whenever I think about using AI to summarize essays, articles, books, etc. I think of that scene from "Good Will Hunting" where Will's girlfriend (played by Minne Driver) balks at Will's offer to do her organic chemistry homework. She says, "I actually have to learn this!" That's the point.

I have an essay I've been working on for a long time. I can't afford to pay anyone to help me edit and finish it, but I would consider starting a cult and worshipping you for eternity if you could help me finish this darn thing.

Do lawyers or physicians have these discussions about their respective job markets? I'm guessing no, but I can't believe academics are the only ones who obsess over the dismal prospects of their profession.

A PhD is a wonderful experience (sometimes) where you learn a lot. But they are still designed to drive students to jobs that do not exist, led by wonderful well meaning faculty who do not know any existence outside of an R1 school environment. It's neither whiny nor ridiculous to warn people.

Maybe we shouldn't offer pensions to those in elected office, especially not to those who only serve for five years. Maybe not even ten years. Heck, maybe we should have some term limits.

For non-UK undergrads considering an MA degree abroad: Durham University is offering partial scholarships for our 1-year programme. As co-Director of the MA in English, I am happy to answer questions about our degree. Deadline 16 January. Tell your students! www.durham.ac.uk/study/schola...

Is he dead or dying?

A stunning, heartbreaking personal essay that is not what it seems at the start. Keep reading.

I keep telling brilliant students not to get PhDs not because they aren't capable, but because if I show them the job boards for the last couple of years and the graphs, not even the fabled hubris of an undergrad who wants to be a professor can get through. There are no jobs.

I mean, yeah. ‘Twas always thus (at least the last 20 years).

Chag sameach Chanukah!

Weird stuff you find when cleaning your office: high school pictures of yourself

Cleaning up my office at the end of a long semester. Listening to 80s tunes because I've been watching Stranger Things and it makes me feel like I'm 10 again.

2026 is gonna be my year

Apparently higher education doesn't need any help from the government when it comes to destroying itself.

Valdosta State is hiring a new department head in English / Comm. I wish somebody cool would apply to come boss me around, talk about cool music, and drink martinis. You can even go to the beach. I promise to not even subtweet you on bluesky. (subskeet?) www.higheredjobs.com/faculty/deta...

Yup.

When I see people start debating the “fairness“ of the academic job market.

FYI, he was Jewish. 2025 cannot end soon enough for the Jews are so very tired.

Happy 250th birthday to the incomparable Jane Austen.

Gosh, I envy the faculty that have been able to retire in the last ten years. Not because they're not working anymore, but because they got out before it all utterly collapsed.

A colleague told me they overheard several of my students discussing using AI to do the final project a course I'm teaching (the colleague didn't name names -- and I didn't ask them to). There's nothing I can do, but gosh, it's made me feel so low.

Two more days of teaching for the semester.

Rob Reiner? This whole year can seriously fuck off.